Thyme's farming advisor, Charles started farming in the Cotswolds in 1976 at Macaroni Farm, which has been in his family since the late 1800’s.
The 500 acre farm at that time was mixed Arable and Sheep. The business has gradually been expanded to 2,500 acres, of which 1,700 has been farmed organically since 2000. Beef and sheep now occupy 50% of the Organic area, with milling wheat, oats and malting barley crops occupying the balance of the rotation. Great emphasis is placed on the highest quality standards and animal welfare levels for the products that are marketed. All the land is farmed under the Higher Level Stewardship Agri-environmental Scheme.
In addition to his own farming enterprises Charles has been heavily involved in the Farming Management of several other large farming businesses and estates around the Country.
Charles does not consider “organic” to be the “panacea” of farming, but as an extensive and sustainable production standard from which the highest quality fresh food should be sourced.